Elder Karasu-Tengu
The Elder Karasu-Tengu (烏天狗長老) is a Karasu-Tengu that appears in the 2018 anime adaptation. Appearance The unnamed Elder Karasu-Tengu, as his name suggests, is the eldest and more respectable of his tribe, a leader of the Karasu-Tengu of Daiten Springs, in Saikaiminato. He is an old, wizened Karasu-Tengu with graying feathers, pointy ears, a large gray beak and a pair of black wings. He has a long, gray beard and he's visibly the eldest of his whole tribe. He has thick gray eyebrows obscuring his small eyes, a balding forehead and long, white hair falling over his neck and shoulders. He wears a white suzukake under an black hanten with four white yui-gesa over it, black tekō around their hands and a black tokin tied with red string. He wears an indigo long priestly skirt, white tabi and brown geta with red straps. Personality The Elder is a stern, respectable Yōkai, loving peace and enforcing a secretive life for his tribe. He's especially stern with the youngest generation, like Kojirō, drilling in him his teaching and scolding him sternly when he fails. However, despite the scruff rough facade, he's a loving and caring individual: his apparently wish for secrecy stems for having seen countless yōkai, like Kani-Bōzu, suffer for the differences between humans and yōkai, and when the needs arises he's always the first to help yōkai and humans alike. He's also willing to openly praise Kojirō whenever he does well, proving his gruff ways are just the means in which he hopes to groom him into a respectable adult Karasu-Tengu. History Sixth Anime Pre-Series In an unspecified point in time, the Elder Karasu-Tengu met with Kani-Bōzu, warning him to avoid getting involved with humans. Kani-Bōzu, in love with a human princess and acting as her bodyguard, refused to heed his warning: the Elder Karasu-Tengu had to witness how the princess was killed by her enemies and Kani-Bōzu, maddened by grief, was sealed for centuries. During the Meiji Restoration, the Elder Karasu-Tengu broke his vow of non-interference to confront the Portoguese Yōkai Belial. As Belial wished to rule over Japan after destroying it with earthquakes and fires brought by his mystical prowess, the Elder Karasu-Tengu sealed his mystical might into the Yasakari Sphere, safekeeping it on a tall peak in Sakaiminato. Feeling pity, he didn't kill Belial, but he left him wandering Japan as an immortal but penniless beggar, working hard to earn his fill. Episode 17: When Mana Inuyama and the Kitarō Family ask for his help against a rampaging Kani-Bōzu, he sends them away, stating his vow of non-interference. However, seen as the young Kojirō, defying his will, tried to help, has a partial change of heart, using his master over winds to let the mystical water of Daisen Springs rain on Sakaiminato, freeing the people Kani-Bōzu turned into bronze statue. He still cautions Kojirō to avoid getting involved with humans and fall in love with Mana, but smiling.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2018): Episode 17 Episode 32: He makes a second appearance in Akuma Belial: The Hundred-Year Grudge. There, he's seen scolding Kojirō, as his crush for Mana is still impairing his ability to train and prevents him from mastering the Shingan Kaijōe, the ability to dispel and perceive illusions, stating how his love sickness is clouding his judgment. When Kojirō, in an attempt to impress Mana (back in Saikaiminato with Agnès for a visit), breaks apart the Yasakari Sphere, Belial's powers return, and the Portoguese Yōkai avenges himself by confronting the Elder Karasu-Tengu in front of his whole tribe, and sealing him and his tribe, minus Kojirō, underground. After Kitarō and Kojirō, with the latter finally mastering the Shingan Kaijōe to seek Belial's weak point due to his romantic love for Mana and his familiar love for the Elder and his Tribe, Agnés frees him. The Elder Karasu-Tengu praises openly Kojirō, reflecting how his power of love is not a weakness, but it may become Kojirō's strongest credit and ability.GeGeGe no Kitarō (2018): Episode 32 Abilities Wind Manipulation: As most Karasu-Tengu the Elder is able to manipulate the winds to do his bidding, as carrying and dispelling clouds and poisonous gases and knock objects away. Flight: The Elder owns a pair of raven wings. With them, he's able to fly with great speed and maneuverability. Levitation: Every Karasu-Tengu can levitate, hovering over earth and water. He's so adept at this and other powers to spend many hours a day teaching how to summon the needed concentration to younger Karasu-Tengu. Shingan Kaijōe: The Soul Eyes, ancestral ability of his tribe, allows the Elder to see through illusions and find the real weak point of any enemy. Illusion magic: As a mean to teach Kojirō how to unlock the Shingan Kaijōe for himself, the Elder trained him daily by showing him illusions of himself to pierce. Martial Arts Prowess: As for most Karasu-Tengu, Kojirō is able to fight with great proficiency, using his mystical abilities and a long staff (bō). In his younger days he subdued powerful enemies as the Western Yōkai Belial. Bō staff and Fan: In battle, he wields the traditional weapons of his species, the bō (long staff) and the fan. Power Sealing: The Elder Karasu-Tengu is able to steal the power of evil Yōkai and seal it away, as it did in the 1800s with Belial, sealing his power in the Yasakari Sphere. This way he can subdue evil and powerful foes without killing them, forcing to roam the Earth humbled and powerless, repenting and thinking about their past evil. Advanced Knowledge: Much like Medama-Oyaji for Kitarō, Elder Karasu-Tengu accumulated lots of knowledge about Daiten Spring, Sakaiminato, the magic of the Karasu-Tengu and their lore. As such, he's able to teach and guide his tribe with great proficiency. References Navigation Category:Article stubs Category:Characters Category:Male characters Category:Yōkai Category:Tengu Category:Karasu-Tengu Category:Flying Yōkai